FIFA has been at loggerheads with WADA since the body's conception in 1999, however president Sepp Blatter -- now a member of the WADA council -- has taken gradual steps to remedy the rift.

On Thursday FIFA announced it had amended some its ruling statutes, notably article 61.

One of the final stumbling blocks between the two sports bodies, article 61 has now been amended allowing FIFA the chance to appeal doping-related rulings by any national federation, confederation or league to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In June 2006 FIFA took a major step in falling into line with WADA in accepting the principle, albeit studying each case individually, of minimum two-year bans for first-time doping offence and life bans for repeat offenders.

Blatter was on Thursday re-elected as head of world football.